GIS Support Member, Southeast Regional Office

Summary
American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one GIS support member to contribute to geospatial data creation, data and records management, map creation and other related duties in support of the regional Division of Planning and Visitor Engagement.

For more information about ACE, please visit our usaconservation website. 

Start Date: September 2024 (flexible)
Estimated End Date: September 2025 (52 weeks after start date)
*a 52-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 2080 hours*

Location Details/Description: Remote. The GIS support member will work from their own home/space. Applicants local to the Southeast Region (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN, KY, AR, LA, MS) will be given preference, as occasional travel to the Regional office in Atlanta, GA or other offices may be required. 

For more information about the USFWS Regional Office, please visit the USFWS website.

Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission at the Southeast Regional Office.

The Member will primarily assist USFWS Regional Office employees (regional NWRS Planners and Visitor Services staff as well as field staff) with projects at national wildlife refuges across the Southeast Region.  In accordance with Service policy, the Member will create, update and manage geospatial data, cartographic products, and additional project files as needed. 

The primary focus will be on providing geospatial support for regional NWRS Planning projects, such as Habitat Management plans, Land Acquisition plans, and Hunt and Fish plans. The Member will also provide additional project support to Visitor Services (up to 30% of their time). Visitor Services (VS) projects may include updating maps for public brochures, improving VS-related GIS data, and ensuring data is attributed correctly for display in the Drupal environment. Attention to detail will be critical.

The Member will coordinate with various technical specialists, support personnel, and refuge staff to ensure that all requirements relating to data management are satisfactorily addressed and that the final geospatial products are managed and archived in accordance with Service and DOI policies. The Member will be responsible for documenting project processes, including writing policy-compliant metadata and standard operating procedure documents when applicable. The Member will also develop briefing materials and provide needed briefing materials for the Regional Planning team, project partners and others in the Regional Office. 

Deliverables include updating FWS Authoritative data layers (ADLs), project maps and accompanying data, ensuring all project files are managed in accordance with Service standards. Assist refuge managers and staff with guidance on updating ADLs.  Participation in weekly planning conference calls and monthly Division calls to report progress and discuss obstacles in completing the tasks.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Schedule: Duties will primarily be carried out Monday - Friday.  Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours.  A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends and/or holidays.  Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $940/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general information online at the usaconservation website.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or FWS.

Gear Reimbursement: ACE members will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes, an external monitor, keyboard or mouse, computer hubs or stations, external hard drive, or other related electronic or home office needs, and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase. 

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. Specific training may include mandatory FWS IT security training, applicable FWS data and records management training, and ESRI virtual training (as-needed). 

Scholarship Funding Opportunity:  The selected candidate(s) for this position will be eligible to apply for ACE’s Access and Inclusion Scholarship. This is a $500 scholarship  which is intended to make participation in ACE positions more accessible to individuals who are underrepresented in the conservation field. Scholarship recipients will be able to allocate this funding to financial need(s) of their choosing. A limited number of scholarships are available. 

Qualifications 

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner. 
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required two-part criminal history check.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation. 
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website. 
• Ability and willingness to think critically.
• Deep interest in problem solving.
• Good organizational skills (documenting processes, data management, and file management).
• Good communication skills (ability to summarize complex geospatial information orally and in writing, ability to effectively communicate with staff and partners from an interdisciplinary background and with different levels of management experience). 
• Proficiency in ArcPro and AGOL is required to create and maintain GIS data in accordance with federal requirements.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold a minimum of a Master’s degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as ArcGIS Online, ArcPro, geospatial data management.
• Knowledge of USFWS mission  
• Experience in writing stepwise “how-to” documents. 
• Knowledge of various forms of outreach materials, and content development for websites and social media sites in a business/professional setting is helpful

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions: 

• Physical Demands: Manual dexterity required for use of computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus. 
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 5 lbs., ability to move up to 10 pounds.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position does not require unique travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the FWS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.